Missing Summer
by aniram1122
Summary: Summer loves Luke. Or so she thinks. When she meets Xav she isn't that sure anymore. And when a whole lot of drama starts to unfold, she realises that nothing is really as it seems, at least in the savant world.
1. Leaving

1. Leaving

Summer POV

"Goodbye."

"Bye." I awkwardly hugged Mum before stepping back. Awkward because I was trying to hold a thousand bags while fiercely being embraced by my tearful mum.

"We won't miss you." My sister spared no time in convincing me that my departure was no concern to her. Not that I ever doubted she wouldn't miss me. She'd probably convert my room into a second wardrobe or something of the sort.

"Yeah, we won't!" My brother doesn't hesitate to join my sister in reassuring me that my absence would be greatly appreciated. Though, of course, he always does what my sister does. He's incapable of having an opinion of his own.

"Summer," Dad said, "we _will_ miss you, no matter what those two say. Don't ever forget that we love you. Don't worry; it's only for a little while anyway and then you can come back, okay?" It wasn't for 'a little while'; it was for a whole year. But I guess Dad was trying to say that 'time would pass quickly' and stuff. Yeah, right. He smiled at me and I smiled tightly back. No point wallowing in my misery. But I felt tears well up in my eyes anyway and had to turn around.

"Summer?" I heard a soft voice from behind me. I plastered a huge smile on my mouth. There, standing as if ready to be photographed for a magazine, was Luke. Luke Kelly, my boyfriend. We'd been together for a grand total of -wait for it- two months, but it seemed so much shorter! I still couldn't believe he chose _me_, Summer Fischer-McBride, to be his girlfriend. I mean, he's really, really popular and everything. Why choose me, when there are far more beautiful and logical choices like Saskia Jones, the prettiest girl in, well, in a lot, or Marisa Kranz, the girl who won the marathon last year and also has the prettiest naturally white teeth I've ever seen? Ah well, I wasn't complaining.

"Luke." I whispered. Now the tears really came. I had to leave everything- friends, family, _Luke_- all because of that one incident with the chocolate pudding.

I blamed Kym McBride, my cousin on my mother's side. She's a pain in the arse, I'm telling you! My family and I lived in Germany but Mum was actually from England. We had a lot of relatives. Dad was German and because of his work, Mum and Dad decided it would be better to live in Germany. But every so often Mum's sister, Jenny, and Jenny's husband Mark, would come around to visit with their two terrible children in tow. I don't know how it happened; Jenny and Mark are lovely and really nice but Kym and Ryan...I don't know. It's like they were injected with evil when they were born.

This particular visit was during Christmastime. We all sat down to have a lovely delicious Christmas dinner. It was all yummy (because Mum had prepared it and she's an excellent chef) and Kym and Ryan behaved themselves right up until dessert. That was when it started. Mum had made a huge chocolate pudding because we're not really fans of the traditional Christmas dessert; sherry trifle or Christmas pudding. Instead we adore Mum's chocolate pudding; it's creamy and rich and just absolutely lovely!

Now, Kym and Ryan had never had Mum's chocolate pudding because they were used to having Christmas pudding and sherry trifle and stuff that Mum is quite simply incapable of making. I served the pudding. It was delicious, as usual. But Kym was looking at hers as if it were a dead rat. Then, in a really snotty voice, she said, "_This_ is supposed to be food? It looks like...rubbish." She shoved a bit of the pudding around with her fork.

"Kym! How could you? This is something that Rebecca (that's my mum's name) made for you! How could say that! Apologise immediately!" Jenny half-shouted at Kym. But Kym just giggled and continued staring at her plate. All through this, I had been contemplating what to do. Mum looked mortified while everyone else was trying to pretend they hadn't heard the conversation. It was dead quiet. I had to do _something_. God, I hated her. How dare she say those things about my mum's perfect cooking! How dare she insult my favourite food in the whole world! I was, fortunately, sitting right next to Kym and nothing could stop me. Half a second before I moved, Mum shouted, "No!" She'd seen what I was about to do.

"Well, you haven't even tried it. I bet you'll love it once you've had a taste!" Before she could react, I stood up abruptly, grabbed the plate, and dropped the dessert onto her head. I still remember the look on her face; absolute horror mixed with embarrassment. Ah, justice.

Dad, sadly, looked at it quite differently. He sent me to my room and confiscated my Christmas presents before I even had a chance to open them. Then, once our guests were gone, he made me clean up everything.

"But, Dad, she was so mean to Mum! Why did you just sit there and do nothing! Didn't you care?" I asked him. But he'd remained silent and handed me the mop.

That basically sums up why my parents decided it best to send me to a strange place called Wrickenridge, where all everyone does is ski or look at the mountains. They thought that I needed to sort out my 'anger issues' and that it was the 'best place to do it'. Not that I had anything against skiing or snow. I'm actually really good at skiing. Extraordinarily good at it, actually. But I'm not boasting.

Dad's half-brother, Noah, and Noah's family of ten lived in Wrickenridge. I'd never actually met them so I was pretty scared, to tell you the truth. Noah lived with quite a lot of people but he was really rich as well so he had a really big house.

Meanwhile, Luke was hugging me and trying to comfort me.

"Hey, don't worry. It'll be fine. And I'll send you an e-mail and everything. Eh? It's gonna be okay." He stroked my hair and kissed the top of my head. I was still crying but his words were slowly calming me down. I nodded and stepped back, holding him at arm's length. He was only slightly taller than me because I'm really tall. I smiled and wiped the last of the tears away.

"Summer, I'll always look out for you, okay? And I'll visit whenever I can." he told me, cupping my face in his hand and looking me in the eyes. I loved Luke's eyes. They were pale blue but I couldn't be too sure because they always changed colour. Let's just say that they were blue most of the time.

I felt a hand on my shoulder and looked up to see my dad's smiling face.

_Time to go._

_Okay._

I sniffed and picked up my bags. The taxi that was going to take me to the airport had arrived. I stepped forward -one, two, three- and Mum opened the car door for me. I threw the suitcases onto the seat beside me (is that allowed?) and fastened my seatbelt. I leaned back in my seat and looked out of the window. Winter and Fynne (my fourteen-year-old sister and my twelve-year-old brother) waved at me and I waved back. Behind them, Mum and Dad were trying not to cry and behind _them_ was Luke. I love my family, but I would miss Luke the most.

_Bye! Bye, Summer!_

_I didn't mean it, Summer! I change my mind; I'll miss you after all!_

_We love you, dear._

_Please, please visit!_

_I love you._

The last one was Luke. I smiled as the taxi rounded the corner and they disappeared from my view. I wouldn't be seeing them for a long time.


	2. Crazy

2. Crazy

I slept most of the trip. I don't remember much, just looking out of the airplane window,  
>seeing the ocean and thinking, 'That's a long way down.' Now that I was out of my home,<br>I thought it was best to keep my shields up at all times. I didn't know if there were any other  
>savants hanging around. Once I got off and got my entire luggage, the butterflies kicked in.<br>My stomach was full of them, I'm tellin' ya!

It was surprisingly quiet outside the airport. I hailed a taxi and told him Noah's address. The taxi  
>driver was surprisingly nice, showing me the sights (the few there were to see) and basically just<br>being really polite. After a while (I've no idea how long, I was mostly looking outside) we arrived and  
>I almost fainted at the sight of Noah's huge mansion. Because it really was a mansion.<p>

I got out and just stared at the so-called 'house'. It had columns and arches and French doors and balconies  
>and lovely windows and a roof that looked like one of those Greek roofs. You know, the ones on temples.<br>The grass in the front lawn was lush and green, something we had never managed in our garden at home.  
>Flowers embroidered the sides and ivy crept up the white brick walls. Steps led up to the huge front door<br>and a stone fountain spouted water that cascaded down like a waterfall. I was speechless, for the first time  
>in my whole life.<p>

"Here you go, ma'am." The taxi driver had lugged my entire luggage (and there was a lot of it, too!) out of the  
>taxi. I thanked him and tipped him (not sure how much, sadly). Then, my heart pounding in my chest, I walked<br>up the steps, ready to ring the doorbell.

But I misjudged the distance and ended up falling in a heap on the ground with all my bags and suitcases on top  
>of me. I groaned and tried to stand up but found that my ankle hurt a lot. I placed it down as sprained and tried to<br>hop on one leg to the top of the stairs. I managed it, thank God, and finally, after fifteen minutes of trying, rang the  
>doorbell.<p>

"Why, hello. You must be Summer. We've been waiting for you." A beautiful lady opened the door and smiled at me.  
>She was really pretty and made me feel really out of place. She had lovely snow white skin and bright brown eyes and<br>her black hair tumbled down her back in waves. She moved gracefully down the stairs and picked up all my things and  
>then waved me into her house.<p>

"You must be Ericka, Noah's wife." Dad had given me a detailed description of everyone in Noah's household.

"Yes, I am! Dear me, where are my manners!" she laughed, and it sounded like wind chimes. "But you are gorgeous,  
>an exact replica of your mother. With your father's hair, of course." I blushed under her praise.<p>

"Thank you." I murmured.

"Noah! Come down, Summer's here!" shouted Ericka. A few minutes later, my half-uncle, if you will, came marching down  
>the stairs with a little girl in his hands. Behind him three kids walked moodily down.<p>

"Ericka?" Noah handed the little baby girl to Ericka and shook my hand.

"Pleased to meet you, sir." I said.

"Pleased to meet you, Summer. Now, kids, why don't you introduce yourselves?" Noah turned to his children and smiled.

"Hi, I'm Mary Sophia Fischer, I'm twelve and I love singing." The middle child stepped forward and half-sang. Like her  
>mother she had a hypnotic voice and seemed to throb with energy. She smiled and hugged me. I was so surprised by<br>the gesture that I couldn't react.

"Robin Daniel. Hi." That was the biggest boy. He was, according to Dad, fourteen and quite quiet. I could tell that already.  
>If Winter were here, she would say he was 'cute'.<p>

"I am Caroline Helena Fischer and I am six years old. I love reading and I love exploring the woods!" Ah, so this was Caroline.

I had heard a lot about her from Dad. She was smart and really cute. Dad said she was like a little puppy. I agreed now that I'd seen her.  
>Caroline was hopping around like a hyperactive little thing, her feet doing a little jig and her hands on her hips.<p>

"Summer, this is Rachel. She's four. Isn't she adorable?" Ericka stepped towards me and I looked at four-year-old Rachel. She _was _adorable,  
>with little brown curls and a heart-shaped face and huge green eyes. She smiled and I saw that she had lovely pearl-shaped teeth.<p>

Noah was also quite attractive. He had blonde-brown hair and green, kind eyes, a square jaw and a tall muscular build. All his children were  
>gorgeous and I felt washed-out and ugly next to them, despite being eighteen and much older than all the kids.<p>

"Now I wonder where Patrick is?" Noah muttered.

"He's in the wood, papa, with Fern and Whisper!" cried Caroline. She was still dancing and now waved her arms about like a windmill.

"Oh, for heaven's sake, Carrie, _stop_ it!" Mary grabbed Caroline's hands and, with her other hand, tickled her tummy. Caroline giggled and  
>squirmed out of Mary's hold.<p>

"Oh, dear. Caroline, go get him, will you?" Ericka set Rachel down on the ground and laid a hand on Mary's shoulder.

"Okay!" Caroline ran out and, wow, she was a really fast runner!

"So, Summer, are you a..." Ericka stopped abruptly and stared at me. I smiled.

"A savant? Well, yeah. My whole family is."

"Wonderful! No need to hide your powers, dear, we live quite far away from the villagers and we're the only ones that live here,  
>anyway. Now, dear, let's see that ankle." So she'd noticed me limping.<p>

"Ooh, that looks _bad_." Mary breathed out as the whole Fischer clan stared at my red splotchy and swollen ankle. I was growing  
>more embarrassed by the minute. There was no doubt about it; I was red like a raw salmon.<p>

"Here, let me." Robin placed his thin, willowy hand on top of my monstrous ankle and closed his eyes. I felt warm all over and  
>stared in wonder as my ankle seemed to get slightly better. At least the pain had stopped.<p>

"Yeah, that's all I can do. It's not my main power. I just tried it out and practised a lot. Is it better?" I smiled at him gratefully.

"Yes, it is. Thanks a lot."

"Hi, guys! Pattie was in the woods and _I _found him! Yay!" Caroline was back. By the sounds of it, she  
>had brought a whole zoo with her. As it turned out, she'd just come back with two dogs, a turtle and<br>what looked like a monkey.

So, no worries then.

Beside this huge entourage was a little boy, about ten. He was...plump. Very plump, if you know what  
>I mean. Not that I have anything against slightly rounded people. But he was so different to his siblings<br>that I found myself wondering, 'How did Ericka have so many kids so quickly, anyway?' Only I wasn't shielding.  
>Oops.<p>

"Well, dear, we adopted Patrick, Robin and little Rachel. We realised they were savants so we took them in  
>because they were abandoned by their parents from a young age.<p>

"We found Robin when he was just two. We had just had Mary but we saw his power immediately. We put up  
>posters, but no one came to pick him up. Ever since then he's been a member of our household.<p>

"Two years later we decided to adopt again; you know, maybe there were more abandoned savants out there.  
>We found Patrick and, well, adopted him!<p>

"It was hard and quite busy but I got pregnant and had Caroline. And now, we have adopted Rachel. I suppose  
>it's hard work, but I have help from my mother and my father."<p>

I smiled weakly. I liked Ericka already, but seriously? Five kids? That was crazy!

"You're wrong. We're six kids all together." Mary smiled and stepped to the side. I stared at the...angel that stood  
>behind her. Angel was really the only way to describe this girl. Sure, she was tall and probably older than me, but still.<p>

"This is Tammy. She's my child from my previous marriage. Tammy, greet your cousin." Ericka was surprisingly uptight and  
>sounded stern.<p>

"Why should I? Besides, she isn't _really _my cousin. We're not blood relations. She's a complete stranger walking over  
>my property, and I want her to leave." With a sinking heart, I realised Tammy was like one of those girls at my old school,<br>those horrible b****y girls who always think they're better than you.

"Hi." I didn't bother with a handshake, let alone a hug. We stared each other coldly in the eyes, sizing each other up.  
>She rolled her eyes, turned around and left the room. A terrible silence followed.<p>

"...Well, she's been like that for quite a long time. Would you like to see upstairs?" Ericka broke the silence and  
>smiled warmly at me. Though shaken, I nonetheless nodded and followed her upstairs.<p>

The hallway alone was bigger than my old bedroom. The walls were light brown, the carpet a lovely rich red and it felt as  
>if I could sink into it. Pictures lined the walls, black and white family pictures, bright lively holiday photos and serious beautiful<br>portraits. Little glass cabinets stood next to each door, flowers and vases and decorations adding  
>little touches here and there. There were about six doors on the left side, eight doors on the right and<br>straight ahead there were two. Each one was made of wood and carved individually, each one different to the other.

"Wow." I breathed. Ericka smiled tightly. The other kids had gone off in different directions; some stayed  
>downstairs, some came up and went in their rooms.<p>

"This is Caroline's room. She decorated it herself, as did everyone their own rooms." Ericka gracefully  
>opened the door and let me in. I was speechless. Really, it was little girl paradise. It was like a little version<br>of My Little Pony Land. Really.

The walls and the floor were bright pink. The room itself was huge, about as big as Winter and my room  
>put together. All the furniture was white but mostly covered in stickers. There wasn't really a specific theme<br>to the stickers, just random ones like ice cream cones and Pokemons.

"It's...bright." I stated. There was even a huge glass door that led to the balcony and a four-poster bed.  
>The most amazing thing had to be the desk on which lay, as if it was completely normal for a six-year old to<br>have such things, an iPad. To the right of the desk was a gigantic bookshelf full of thick leather-bound,  
>ancient-looking books and autobiographies by quite a lot of celebrities.<p>

"Has Caroline read all of these?" I wondered aloud.

"Why, yes. She's a bookworm, really, but she's also extremely sporty." Ericka smiled fondly and put a  
>book lying open on the floor back into the bookshelf. In the corner of the room, beside the over-sized<br>wardrobe, was an equally over-sized box full of skipping ropes, footballs, basketballs, sport shorts,  
>trainers and other sporty items. I picked up a small object that resembled a miniature robot.<p>

"Oh, Pattie made that for Carrie." Ericka murmured. I flicked a little switch on the side and the 'robot'  
>came to life, dancing and singing. It was cute.<p>

Next was Patrick (I just couldn't bring myself to say 'Pattie')'s room. The walls were dark green; the  
>floor was a white carpet. Not stained, I noticed. The bed was small but wide and really soft; or so it looked.<p>

Again, there was a desk and balcony but Patrick's room wasn't a girly paradise. His walls were covered with  
>bookshelves which, in turn, were stuffed with science books and other books for clever people. There was<br>absolutely nothing on the floor whereas the desk was covered in open books, notebooks, pencils and a few  
>sweet wrappers. I saw a telescope on the balcony along with a little cage.<p>

_What's that?_ I asked.

_That's Patrick's rat._

_Ew! _Yeah, I don't really like rats.

_The rat's called Butter. I myself don't know why but Patrick says it's obvious._

_What's his gift? _I couldn't help but wonder. Caroline's I didn't know but I was sure i would find out  
>soon anyway, whereas I couldn't begin to guess what Patrick's was.<p>

_Pattie can speak to animals. But he is also a great mechanic._

_I can see that!_

The door next to Patrick's revealed a huge bathroom. There was a glass see-through sink and a huge  
>Jacuzzi. The shower was stocked with a thousand different shampoos and conditioners and the marble<br>floor made me feel like a millionaire.

Robin's room was dark and...dark. Even the furniture was either brown or black and the only colour was  
>the posters hanging around the room and the Mac on the desk. Robin's room had no balcony but a huge<br>window that allowed a lot of light to come in.

Mary's room was painted light blue. It wasn't over-girly, but it wasn't tomboyish either. It was kind of in the  
>middle. Mary's furniture was mostly made of wood and steel. Mary didn't have a huge amount of electronics<br>or books, but a fairly large collection. She also seemed to collect broken paintbrushes, which I found funny.

To each his own, I suppose. Actually, to each her own, since Mary is, like, a girl.

Rachel's nursery was buttercup yellow and soooo cute I even felt myself warm up. Rachel had a cute  
>little yellow crib and a lovely dressing table. The floor was a soft carpet of, yes, buttercup yellow and the<br>walls were a light pink with a teddy-bear pattern on it. There were various toys and whatnot among with  
>books and paper and pens. I felt my heart yearn for a lovely little room like that. Ah well, as you grow,<br>you're just not cute enough any more, I guess.

Tammy's room was the one right at the end of the hall, next to the second bathroom. Her room was white.  
>There was only white furniture in it. Even the bed was all white. The computer was gold, though. Tammy had<br>no books in her room. Actually, the only things that were remotely interesting in her room were  
>different nail polishes, lipstick and a hair curlerstraightener.

The other rooms were Ericka and Noah's room, Ericka's parents' room and different little rooms  
>for purposes I didn't catch. My room was downstairs.<p>

Once the 'tour' was over I asked Ericka about the gifts each person possessed.

"Noah's gift is to be able to make any object into a different one. For example, he could  
>take a pack of cards and change it into a rose or something.<p>

"My gift is the gift of telling the truth from a lie. Quite useful for being a mother!

"Tammy's gift is her beauty. You see, depending on her mood, she can change her beauty,  
>but she can't be ugly." Here I thought 'What a sucky gift.' Mean, but true, come on!<p>

"Robin can make people do anything he wants them to do, but he needs to be looking them  
>directly in the eyes. I've heard of others who can do this 'manipulation' with just their voice,<br>but Robin uses his eyes.

"Carrie can cheer people up. It's very nice, her gift, because the kids get down a lot, particularly  
>after getting a bad grade or something.<p>

"Mary's gift is to feel emotions. She touches whatever the object is and can feel its emotions  
>and the current state it's in. I suppose that's the reason why she hugged you.<p>

"You know Pattie's gift already and I don't know Rachel's yet; she is so young. But my parents  
>have gifts themselves, but you'll have to meet them and ask!<p>

Now, tell me about your gift. I heard from your father that it's interesting, but he wouldn't  
>tell me what it is!"<p>

"Oh," I started, "I can control all four elements."

"How absolutely delightful!"

Did you know that I thought I would fit in well, back then?


	3. Chores and More

3. Chores and More

My room was a huge guest room on the first floor next to the library (yes, more books!). I loved it; I was allowed to hang up posters and decorate it exactly as I wished. I had already met Ericka's parents and they were funny and kind. Everyone except for Tammy was nice to me and I was surprised by how much affection every single one of them held for the others. In my family, the only real affection that took place was when we were forced to be nice to each other. Usually, we wouldn't think twice of insulting each other.

What surprised me the most were the chores. Yes, even in a perfect family like the Fischer's, chores took place! They weren't as bad as I had imagined they would, just random easy stuff like taking the bins out or making dinner, but I hadn't done any chores back at home so it was surprising.

I volunteered to do them, though, once I had realised that I would have nothing to do while everyone was at school. Contrary to my beliefs, Tammy was actually just 16. She had to go to school, too (tee hee, snigger, snigger)!

So, from seven to three my schedule went approximately like this:

7:00 take out all the plastic bags from the bins (no easy task; there are at least twenty bins!) and throw the rubbish away

7:30 put away all books, pens, notebooks etc.

7:55 clean Butter's cage and give him food

8:05 go shopping (a new pack of butter every day)

8:30 come back and clean up the playroom and paints in Carrie's room she leaves out every day

9:00 go shopping _again_ once I realise I forgot something

9:25 come back and get new bed covers, put old ones in wash

10:00 have a break

11:00 feed Butter again (he sure eats a lot)

11:05 find other miscellaneous things lying around and waste time making shapes out of them

11:30 put the stuff away and find a paintbrush for Mary's collection

12:00 get ingredients for lunch and cook

13:00 eat with Lea and Nathan (Ericka's parents)

13:30 clean up the kitchen and dishes

14:00 air all rooms, out more water in Butter's water thingy

15:00 welcome everyone home!

So, yeah, I was slightly busy. But still, at least I had something to do! I got used to my chores and got into a kind of routine that freed me from doing anything in the afternoon. I just lazed around. I wanted to go skiing, but that would have to wait until my first weekend in Wrickenridge! I like my daily routine; I am the kind of person who would sit in front of the computer with Excel on and work out a timetable, then forget it and make a new one, so having this 'timetable' without writing anything except a shopping list was great.


	4. Playing Taxi

**Hi guys! It's been a long time since I last uploaded, but well, school holidays, **

**Italy, Japanese homework, helping sister with _her _homework. I've been busy **

**busy busy! But I am determined to finish this!**

**Disclaimer: I sadly don't own anything that comes up in Finding Sky, nor did I invent**

** Barbies, Polly Pockets or My Little Ponies.**

**I apologise for any mistakes and please tell me if there are any!  
><strong>

**Manda xoxo**

**PS: I just didn't feel like doing the paragraph thing today. Also,**

**Friends is awesome! We have started to borrow the DVDs from the local **

**video store and it's so funny. The only worrying thing is that my sister laughs**

**along...  
><strong>

4. Playing Taxi

I can drive. It's necessary when going to school in Germany, since my parents work and my siblings refuse to take the bus (so do I, but there's a difference between pure selfishness and fear of buses). Usually, I drive the second family car, a Toyota Carola, and I manage just fine. Well, except for that one time when I scraped the car against the gate, but that isn't important. Never mind that there's a huge scratch all the way from the bonnet to the other end.

So, when Ericka asked me to pick up her kids from school the coming Friday, I was pretty confident. That was, until I saw the huge van parked in the three-car garage. Holy cow, I thought, how will I cope? Filled with terror, I opened the car door and stepped up behind the driver's seat. The van was really high up. I practiced a few times, feeling the power of the gigantic van (there were, all in all, 10 seats) beneath my hands on the steering wheel as I accelerated.

Friday soon came and with it that gut-wrenching fear that I would crash the car and everyone in it. I had to make 3 stops; Rachel's kindergarten, the primary school the younger kids attended and then Robin and Tammy's high school. It would take an hour altogether.

Full of fear, I went outside in my new clothes (Ericka went shopping almost every other day and bought a lot of things like clothes, make-up, shoes...) and unlocked the car. I climbed up to the driver's seat and sighed. A nervous tingling started in my tummy. I drove out the garage and reversed onto the street. The quiet hum of the van reassured me, reassured me that all was well and I was still alive.

I turned on the radio. There was either country or classic music. I picked Taylor Swift (I was fed up of Antonio Vivaldi) and hummed along. Soon an upbeat song came on and, since the singer kept on repeating himself (as is usual among the more modern songs of today) I was soon singing along. I hope no one was looking.

Rachel's kindergarten looked, from the outside, like a miniature palace. It probably had only two floors, but even so it was stunning. In a daze, I parked and walked up to the front door. I rang the doorbell and waited a few seconds before a woman came out, smiling. When she saw me, the smile fell off her face and was replaced with a disapproving glare.

"What do you want?" she glowered at me. A little surprised, yet undaunted, I answered her question.

"I'm here to pick up Rachel. Ericka couldn't make it." I told her. She looked unimpressed.

"Nice try, but Mrs. Fischer hasn't called me or notified of anyone other than herself picking her daughter up. You'll have to go."

"Call her! I bet you she'll tell the truth! I am here to pick her up!" I cried.

"Hmm...What's your name?" The woman asked.

"I'm Summer and Ericka's my aunt!"

"Of course she is." While I was talking, she had been taking a phone from a nearby table and dialling a number. Now she was waiting for Ericka to pick up.

"Hello, this is Marge! Now, dear, I have a slight problem. There's slight trouble. Some girl, probably one of those street girls, you know, wants to pick up Rachel!" I glared at her, shocked. She was smiling warmly, glancing at me occasionally.

"Summer. Claims you're her aunt." she listened to Ericka on the phone, her face turning pale. She glanced at me before sighing loudly.

"All right. Thank you, darling. Goodbye!" she put the phone down and rolled her eyes.

"Rachel's in the playroom." she mumbled. Feeling slightly triumphant and thinking 'Ha, loser!', I went through to the playroom. It was little girl paradise! Well, little girl and boy paradise, but I paid more attention to the girl side of the room.

It was light pink with a soft luscious cream-coloured carpet. There were windows lining the walls, you know, the windows you always see on castles in Disney movies. There was a life-size doll house and a miniature one too, a drawing table, a walk-in wardrobe, a dressing-up box, a rocking horse and the whole floor was strewn with Barbies, Polly Pockets and the occasional My Little Pony. Playing among these girly objects was my cousin, Rachel.

"Summer!" she cried when se saw me. She stood up and kissed my cheek, her little fingers curled around a Ken doll. "Will you play with me?" she asked in her high, wispy voice.

"Oh, I wish I could," I said, actually meaning it, "but we have to go and pick up your siblings!"

"No fair! I was just going to dress up Barbie!" she folded her ams and flung the Ken doll onto the floor. He landed with a thump and his head fell off. Poor guy.

"Well...You can play with Caroline once you get back! You know, I'm sure she has a lot of toys!" Rachel grinned at me.

"Will you play too?" She looked so adorable, how could I refuse?

"Okay." I picked her up and we walked out to where 'Marge' was still standing. "Was Rachel the last one to be picked?"

"Yes." she looked at me, pure hatred in her eyes but I didn't let it get to me. I was hated so much anyway, one more person didn't really make a difference.

"look, Summer, Summer! I have new shoes!" I put Rachel down and she ran to the little cupboard and flung it open. Inside were the loveliest shoes I had ever seen.

"Oh, they are nice!" I smiled and helped her put the shoes on. She kissed Marge on the cheek before walking out, skipping.

"Goodbye." I said.

"Hm!" Marge banged the door shut in my face. I smiled briefly before following Rachel to the van.

"Dancing Queen! La-di-da-di-da! Lalalalalalalalalala!" The song finished and we all burst out laughing. "Ooh! Next it's Mamma Mia!" Caroline yelled, jumping up and down in her seat.

"We get it, we get it! No need to shout!" Mary giggled, putting her hand over Carrie's mouth.

"Hey! Let me go!"

"Guys! Guys, guys, guys, guys! Sei doch mal leise!" I spoke to the girls in German. I had seen Ericka doing it when she was mad at them. I went to a German school, so I could German.

"'Tschuldigung..." they mumbled.

"I can't speak German!" chuckled Rachel. "I'm not German!"

"Oh, Summer! That's the school! And there's Tammy!" Mary pointed out of her windows and laughed. "Tammy's got a whole busload of admirers."

And so she did. Tammy was sitting in a tree, her legs hanging loosely and looking gorgeous in a miniskirt and t-shirt. Her hair was loose and rushing down her back like a waterfall. The 'admirers' were chatting to her, each one pushing to come closer. Tammy laughed and one of them blushed. I sniffed. I disapproved of girls like Tammy who thought they were so much better than other girls.

"I'll go get Tammy and Robin. You stay here. Take care of yourselves, don't open the door and..." I didn't get a chance to finish.

"Don't talk to strangers!" The four children chorused. Patrick had been relatively quiet throughout the trip but now shouted with the rest of them.

"All right. I see you know the drill. See ya later, alligators." I was about to close the door when,

"In a while, crocodile!" I giggled. I couldn't help it. They were such sweet kids.

The walk up to Tammy's school took...5 minutes. I won't lie, the school was kind of disappointing. It was just like any other school I had ever seen. But then, I was right in the middle of Wrickenridge now, and the other schools had been on the outskirts of it. A few things aught my attention. I sensed a strong savant presence somewhere, but as soon as I investigated it, a force almost me backwards and a thought, not mine, shot through my head.

_Are they here?_

With that thought came gut-wrenching fear. I looked around, hoping to spot the source, but savants look normal. The only thing I saw that was slightly out of ordinary was a girl who looked like what I would imagine Alice to look like in Wonderland sitting with this really hot guy. They looked totally in love. It seemed most students were staring at them. So, they were in love. Who cares, I thought.

I walked towards Tammy, who was now tossing her hair and smiling.

"Woah, Tammy, I didn't think you were so desperate for love you'd look for it in brainless apes." Was my greeting.

_Stuff it. _was hers.

_We gotta go._

_Whatever._

_C'mon!_

She glared at me, scoffed, then jumped out of the tree and smiled at the boys.

"Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow." she said with a wave of her hand. All of them waved back, looks of admiration so disgusting on their faces I felt like vomiting.

"Oh, grow up, will you?" Tammy said when she saw my face.

"Do you happen to know where your brother is?" I asked.

"He's not my brother! He is my step-brother. But, yes, I do. He's behind the school playing on his DSi."

"Oh."

"So, Robin, when were you going to tell me, I mean, us?" I wondered cheerfully. Really, my hands were biting into the steering wheel.

"Huh?" Rob looked up, bewildered.

"Well, about your girlfriend, of course!" I braked hard. The car in front of us had suddenly curved to the right and I gasped, surprised.

"I don't have a girlfriend." Oh my God, how dense can boy be?

"Yes, you do, dimwit, the one you were making out with behind the school!" Tammy cried out.

"Oh, you mean Kara. No, no. She's not my girlfriend. She's, uh, a good friend of mine."

"Friends with benefits?" snickered Mary.

"What does making out mean?" wondered Rachel.

"How do you spell Kara?" shouted Carrie.

"You said the d-word!" screamed Patrick.

"You are so disgusting, Rob!" yelled Tammy, "I like your style." This was getting way too much for me. I parked on the sidewalk, got out, opened the back door and screamed "Oh, my God, you idiots! Shut up, shut up, shut up! Just be quiet! You're giving me a fucking headache!" There was silence. Then Patrick said,

"Summer...you said the f-word!"

"Fuck. Fuck." Rachel whispered. "Ha-ha. That's a funny word! Is it bad?"

"Rachel, it is a really bad word!" Mary cried.

"I agree with Summer, guys. Let's all be quiet." Rob said.

"Nice try. But that won't work. Ever. So, why were you making out with her?"

"It's just...she'd just broken up with her boyfriend, you know? She was so sad. Didn't know how else to comfort her."

"So you kissed her?" Tammy burst out laughing.

I got in the front seat and started driving again. We drove in a stunned kind of silence. I parked in front of the Fischer house and the kids got out, suddenly laughing and chatting again. I sighed. God, this was stressy.

**Please review! I love getting feedback. Especially when there are some mistakes!**


	5. Soulfinder

**Hello!  
>I finished reading Stealing Phoenix yesterday, it was great but...<br>I like Finding Sky more! Anyway, here is the next chapter, I won't be able to able fro two weeks because  
>of a class trip to an island. What really sucks is that we're getting a puppy and I won't be there the first week because<br>of the school trip! Plus I can't swim in salt water because of my allergy so I won't  
>be able to go swimming. See, the place we're going is an island.<strong>

**AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRGH!**

**Enjoy. Manda xoxo  
><strong>

5. Soulfinder

Finally! It is _finally_ Saturday, and I get to go skiing. I asked my cousins if any of them  
>want to come, but even sporty Caroline refused.<p>

"I sense a bad aura there." she'd said, but there'd been a kind of hardness in her eyes.

"We don't talk about it." was the only thing Mary said.

"Me! I'd look ridiculous in one of those weird suit-thingies you have to wear! And don't  
>get me started on the falling-down-and-looking-like-an-idiot part, okay?" So a definite no<br>from Tammy. What a surprise.

"I'm allowed to use my Action Replay for the first time. I am so gonna finish all my games." I hadn't  
>expected anything other than that from Rob, really.<p>

"Butters is sick." I knew for a fact that Butters was perfectly healthy, but I didn't question Patrick.  
>Something weird was going on, and I so wanted to know what it was.<p>

After I went skiing.

The Rockies were terrifying. I _had _been to worse, but still, quite terrifying. I saw a few people from Tammy's  
>high school. I even saw the Alice in Wonderland girl, who cracked me up by falling every two seconds. Her<br>boyfriend was creepy, though. He kept on glaring at me.

I borrowed some skis from the ski shop. I hadn't been able to bring those, but the rest of my ski gear, I had  
>brought. As I trudged up to the ticket booth, I noticed a man staring at me, a man who looked remarkably like Luke.<p>

"Oh, my God!" I cried. I had reached the ticket booth and the boy manning it looked at me strangely. He wasn't  
>exactly a boy, he looked my age.<p>

"Am I that hideous?" he asked. I stared at him, realised he was joking, and, half-laughing, answered:

"No, I just realised I'd completely forgotten to call my boyfriend! And I promised him I would!" I have the  
>tendency, when I'm really worried, to just shout out what ever it is that's got me all hot and bothered.<p>

"Ah..." I couldn't blame him for not knowing what to say.

"Um...That is _not_ what I came here for." I carried on quickly. "I actually came to get a ticket." I informed him.  
>Yeah, like he didn't know that. Go ahead, Summer. Make a fool out of yourself in front of the<br>did-I-mention-was-very-hot guy. Woah, what did I just say? Hello, you have a boyfriend, Summer!  
>A boyfriend you have completely ignored over the last few days!<p>

"I figured that's why." he joked.

"Okay. How much does one cost?"

"Well, one costs quite a lot, but...if you want our year-round ticket you get to ski all day, every day  
>for the rest of this year just for the extremely cheap price of ** dollars." Since I was going to<br>be here for a year, I bought one. Then, stupidly, I aked,

"How much is that in euros?" The man looked at me strangely.

"You're not from around here, are you?" he laughed.

"No." I was not going to discuss my complicated life to this stranger.

"Okay. Here you go." he handed me the ticket. "Look, you're new here, you can pay tomorrow,  
>you know. Once you've got your wallet organised." I blushed. My wallet was filled with old receipt,<br>pounds, euros, dollars and it was all rather confusing.

"Thanks." I made my way towards the lift and the guy behind me grumbled, "Finally."

The view from the lift was amazing. I was breathless and excited to be skiing again. Despite the  
>worry of my broken promise to Luke nagging at me I managed to enjoy it.<p>

I suppose the reason I'm so good at skiing is mostly due to my gift. I can control the way the snow  
>will move under my skis, I can sense a dangerous patch of snow from a mile away and I can even<br>melt the snow, just slightly, enough to make it plain easier. I may not know all the names for the ski  
>gear and stuff, but at least I know my way around the snow. The only times I fall are when my<br>clumsiness and bad balance step in.

After skiing, I went to get a hot drink. I saw the Alice girl and her boyfriend, along with  
>another couple, the boy looking similar to Alice's boyfriend but with cool glasses and the<br>girl totally beautiful and laughing along with them loudly. I noticed the blond looking at me all  
>interested and a few seconds later the whole table was staring at me, all four of them wearing<br>similar expressions of interest. I felt myself flushing.

The waiter came, asked me what I wanted and I said a hot chocolate, please. I smiled, content, and  
>leaned back against my chair...And the Luke problem came rushing back to me. His face was in my mind,<br>looking cold and insulted. I could imagine him now, probably with some woman he had met at a bar...No,  
>no, no! Luke was my soulfinder, of course he wouldn't leave me!<p>

When the waiter arrived, I asked if the place had a telephone. Sure, I had my mobile, but it was at Noah's.  
>I could use telepathy, but I was uncomfortable using it in such a public place.<p>

"Never use your gifts in public. Some savants are...not all that good." Luke would always say. Thankfully,  
>the place had a phone and I dialled Luke's number. He picked almost immediately.<p>

"Hello?" God, he sounded miserable.

"Hi, Luke! It's me, Summer!" I tried to sound cheerful.

"Oh, God, Summer. Have you found enough time from your busy schedule to finally call me?" He was sulking.  
>How immature.<p>

"I'm so sorry, Luke. I am, really. Please, it's just I've had so much to do these past days that I kind of forgot..."  
>It sounded lame even to me.<p>

"Forgot? Hello, Summer, I'm your boyfriend and your soulfinder! You haven't forgotten what Peter told you,  
>have you?" He sounded suspiscious. Oh, I'd definitely not forgotten what Peter, Luke's cousin, had said to me.<p>

"Of course not!" I cried.

"Well, just so that won't forget me any time soon, here he is right now." I heard a shuffling and then Peter's  
>rough voice.<p>

"Summer." I flinched. I remembered the last time I'd met Peter and grimaced.

"Hi, Peter."

"Right, no use wasting time. Here we go."

_Luke is your soulfinder, your other half. You will, when the time comes, put your life on the line for him. You will  
>throw yourself in front of the danger. You love him too much, you always will. And the savants you will meet are<br>liars and your enemy. Our enemy. You will pretend to befriend them. You will protect Luke._

I felt his voice surrounding me, I felt the blood draining from my face, I felt my fingers go numb. I was aware of  
>the Alice-in-Wonderland girl looking at me, concerned. No, I didn't want to die!<p>

_You will and you must! Luke is your only love. You will love no other man but him._

No, no, no!

_Yes! Luke, soulfinder, Luke...You will die, you must..._

I remember staring at the opposite wall for a few seconds, then I succumbed to darkness.

"And she wakes up!" I was aware of a soft voice in my ear. I was confused, to say the least. Luke? Soulfinder?  
>Yes, I was aware of the fact that Luke was my soulfinder. I loved him so much. I wanted to see him right now.<p>

"Hi, we met earlier." I turned to face the owner of the silk smooth voice that had woken me up. It belonged to  
>the man who had been at the kiosk!<p>

"Oh. Hi." I looked around, dazed. What had happened? I remembered calling Luke...Everything else was dark.

I looked around. I was in what appeared to be one of those ski huts. The walls were wooden and I was  
>wrapped in warm blankets. A fire was gently burning in the fireplace. I smiled softly. Luke was my soulfinder. Luke<br>was my soulfinder. Luke was my soulfinder. I loved him. I loved him. I loved him. I loved him so much; I would  
>even kill myself for him.<p>

Now why did I think that?

"What happened?" I asked.

"Well, my brothers were out having a few refreshments and you entered the cafe. They said you  
>looked really alarmed, I suppose about that boyfriend of yours, eh?" he grinned. "Then you asked for<br>a phone and once you finished talking, you looked really distressed. Then you collapsed. So I just nursed  
>you back to health, really. Oh, and I have a question. You foot? Yeah, you really shouldn't ski on it. It's just<br>started to recover and..."

"Woah, but I love skiing! I want to ski!" I almost shouted.

"I love skiing too, but you really should wait a while before..."

"Oh, please do _something_! I know you're not a super doctor or a magician or anything, but please!"  
>Why couldn't I have been a healer? I wondered. I certainly got in enough accidents for it. Whereas my gift<br>was useless in anything to do with healing. Except for herbs and stuff, I guess, which I can conjure up  
>with a flick of my hand. But I don't know any herbs!<p>

"Right." His eyes softened. He got a plaster and wrapped my leg with it. Then he put his hand on  
>my foot. His hand was really warm and big; it could have gone right around my ankle. I felt warm<br>all over. I stared at him. He really was cute and I couldn't help but...My God, I have a boyfriend!  
>I scolded myself. I have a soulfinder! Aaaaaaaargh! What's wrong with me?<p>

"Nothing." The man muttered. I stared at him. He stared at me.

"You're a...savant." I gasped. He smiled, then nodded. "How did you know that I was one?" I whispered.

"Well, my brothers and sisters had a feeling you were one." The man grinned. "And you were."

"Oh." I was feeling lightheaded. The door opened and the blond girl entered with her  
>boyfriend and the other couple that had been in the cafe earlier.<p>

"Hi. Are you feeling better now?" Alice girl asked. I nodded. "I'm Sky Bright." I struggled  
>to maintain a straight face. "Go ahead, laugh at my name. It's okay. You're in shock."<p>

"I'm Phoenix. Nice to meet you." the beautiful girl said. She held out her hand and I shook it.

"And I'm Yves." the cool glasses boy said.

"I'm Zed." Sky's boyfriend told me. I was scared of him, to tell the truth. He was tall and kind of  
>intimidating.<p>

"Zed and Yves are my brothers, Sky's Zed's soulfinder and Phoenix is Yves wife and soulfinder." I  
>blinked. These guys were lucky. They had already found each other and they seemed so happy.<br>I couldn't believe I was one of them; one of the lucky few who had found their soulfinders.

"What's your name?" I asked the kiosk man.

"Sorry, I forgot to tell you. My name's Xavier. You can call me Xav. I'm a healer." he added. I smiled.  
>Xavier. Yves. Zed. What strange names.<p>

"I'm Summer Fischer-McBride."

"You're new here, aren't you, Summer?" asked Yves. I nodded.

"But I'm only staying for a year." They exchanged bewildered looks.

"Why?" asked Sky.

So I told them all about Kym and the chocolate pudding incident. Xav laughed the whole time  
>and soon I joined in. It used to be a non-laughing matter but now, well, it was really, really funny.<p>

"So where are you staying? At a hotel?" Phoenix asked once we had stopped laughing.

"No. I'm staying at my aunt and uncle's. They live on the outskirts of town. Do you know them? The  
>Fischers, Noah and Ericka Fischer." I saw the looks on the Benedicts' faces. They did not look happy.<p>

"It's a really nice family! Some of them are adopted." I told them all about the Fischers; how kind they  
>were, how giving, how helpful. But their expressions remained the same .I told them about my family too and about Luke, my soulfinder.<p>

"He's so amazing. Luke is so nice. I love him so much." I told them dreamily, forgetting to defend the Fischers.

"What's his full name?" asked Zed. There was a hint of panic in his voice, as if he were extremely  
>worried about something.<p>

"His name is Luke Kelly. Why?"

"Kelly? Luke _Kelly_?" Xav had been smiling but now he was dead serious. His face was pale and he  
>exchanged horrified glances with his siblings.<p>

"What is it?" I asked.

"What are you doing here? What do you want? You know we can defeat you easily, right?" Yves was not  
>warm and friendly anymore. He was glaring at me, all of them were, especially Zed. He had his arms<br>wrapped around Sky protectively. She was struggling against his hold.

"Guys! She has no idea what you're talking about!" she cried.

"It's true." Phoenix added. But the guys carried on looking at me distrustfully. I was shocked. Why had they  
>changed as soon as I had said I was Luke's soulfinder?<p>

_Please trust me! _I cried, hoping to get past their coldness using telepathy. I noticed Xav staring me,  
>his mouth wide open, his face aghast.<p>

"What is it, Xav?" Zed asked his brother.

_You're my soulfinder._ What? Had I just imagined Xav's voice in my head, telling me that? No, it couldn't be.  
>Luke was my soulfinder, he had to be! I stared at Xav. I couldn't understand why my heart was beating<br>quicker in my chest, why my throat had gone dry, why my palms were sweating.

_No. Luke is. _I told him, sounding far calmer than I felt.

_But that's not possible._


	6. C'est la vie

6. C'est la vie

Xavier POV

I couldn't believe it. _My_ soulfinder thought that a Kelly was _her_ soulfinder. How  
>had this happened? My bet was she had been manipulated. So we called Victor<br>and moved Summer to our house. She was confused and I wanted to stroke that  
>beautiful red hair of hers and tell her it would all be okay. How could this be possible?<br>Not only was my soulfinder related to the Fischers, but she was also going out with a member of the worst savant family ever: the Kellys.

"I don't get it. Luke...I love him. He is my soulfinder. He really is," Summer said to me.  
>She had been saying the same thing for the past few minutes.<p>

"Keep believing that, honey," I muttered. She stared at me, hurt in her eyes.

"Please take me to the Fischers." I flinched at the mention of their name.

"No can do," I replied. It hurt me to have to be like this with her, but she could be a spy for  
>all we knew. She could be accomplished at hiding her real emotions, so whatever Sky and Phoenix<br>were seeing might be wrong. You never know.

"Why are you acting like I'm this really bad person?"

I was close to crying. I didn't want to hurt her, yet here I was doing just that.

"Don't you know the Kellys?" I asked her. I had thought everyone knew them.

"No."

"Don't you know the Savant Net?"

"No."

I was perplexed. How could she know nothing? It was impossible.

"Are you sure?"

"Look, if I knew I'd have said something already!" she snapped at me. I stared at her for a few  
>seconds, astounded by her luminous beauty she seemed so unaware of. Her dark blue eyes,<br>which were the colour of a clear deep sea, glistened and shined. The tendrils of red curly hair  
>that toppled down her back were like little rainbows; they shone and glimmered in every colour<br>when they were in the light.

I snapped out of my admiration for her, replying calmly to her outburst.

"Yes. I know you would have."

I noticed the way her hands were fidgeting anxiously on her lap, the way little folds were  
>building in her forehead and the way the sunlight lit up her lovely tanned skin.<p>

She was beautiful, even when worried. She was, in short, the perfect description of summer.  
>She was sweet and kind but also fiery and defensive when she had to be. She obviously<br>enjoyed the outdoors and she could catch a whole room's attention. She was my sun.

"Then why, why are you holding me prisoner like this?"

I hated to see her so upset. God, I wanted so much to hold her in my arms, to bring her face  
>up to mine and kiss those luscious, plump lips of hers.<p>

"We have no choice. I don't want to do this to you. We have to make sure you're not one of... them."

"One of what?"

I was about to answer when Victor entered the room. We were in the living room, she was

sitting on the sofa and I was standing in front of her, worried to bits.

"Hello, Summer." Victor smiled as he entered the room. His presence brought a sense of calm  
>to the room. Whether it was his polite demeanour or his apparent niceness, I saw Summer<br>relax and sigh. I wanted to be able to bring this relaxed part of her out.

"I've heard a lot about you," Vic continued. He proceeded to ask me some stuff while he was talking to her.

_So she doesn't know anything?_

_No, she doesn't. She hasn't even heard of the Savant Net!_

I felt his shock. _What? How can that be possible?_

_I really don't know. All I know is this guy, Luke, who she thinks is her soulfinder, is a Kelly, and _that_ is always bad news._

_No kidding._

_So, what do we do?_

_Well, I could _ask _her about him...but you know what would be much easier if..._He glanced at me,  
>willing me to understand. I understood all right. But I would never, ever allow anyone to use their<br>gifts on Summer. Never. Look at Phoenix and Sky. People had abused them using their  
>gifts and the pain had been hard to get over.<p>

_Please, Vic, let's leave her in peace. I really don't think she's actually...bad._

_So what the hell did I come here for? _Christ, he was mad.

_You're good at that kind of stuff. You know, finding out what people are feeling and all that._

_But she's your soulfinder now; you gotta care for her, look after her all the time. She is your main priority now._

I knew that. _But I don't understand how. It's all so new to me..._

"You're having a conversation behind my backs," Summer realised. I looked at her guiltily.

"Um, err...yeah," I answered feebly.

"I can't believe this! You _think_ you're my soulfinder, don't you?" I nodded.

"I can't believe this! You _think _you're my soulfinder, don't you?"

"I _know _I'm your soulfinder."

. "Well then, act like you are!" I flinched. I couldn't believe what she'd just said.

"I am trying my absolute best," I started slowly, "But I'm new to this." I sighed. "I...I have  
>no idea what to do."<p>

Victor left with a quiet, "Bye." I was glad he had left us to have some privacy.

"Summer, I'm sorry. Sorry for everything. Ask me whatever you want; I'll try my best to answer  
>you." I sat down next to her; she tensed but didn't move away, which I took as a good sign.<p>

"Okay. First of all, how many siblings do you _actually_ have?" She asked the question so suspiciously  
>that I couldn't help but chuckle.<p>

"What?" she demanded. She looked so sweet when she was mad. Still smiling, I said, "Nothing."  
>She still looked annoyed, so I carried on quickly. "I have six brothers."<p>

The amazed look on her face was so hilarious I chuckled again.

"_Six_ brothers? There are seven of you?"

"Yeah. Trace, Uriel, Victor, Will, Yves, Zed and me." I put myself last; I didn't want to look  
>self-obsessed or anything in front of her. Usually I would just put myself right at the beginning...<p>

"Wow. I mean, the Fischers are a big family, but seven grown-up children! How big is your house?"  
>She looked around as if expecting a fairy to appear and tell her how big it was.<p>

"Normal, I guess."

"You guess? Our house has one bathroom and Winter is constantly in it with the hairdryer and the  
>sink is full of make-up! We don't have a basement and I have to share my room with Win!<br>Do you know how annoying it is to be told by your sister, who, by the way, is four years  
>younger than me, that my clothes are 'totally out'!" She finished her little rant, breathless with her hands in her hair.<p>

I couldn't help but laugh. She was so cute. I felt sorry for her having to share her room with  
>her little sister, but her family seemed funny and nice, just like her.<p>

"Anyway, next question. Um...oh, I have one! So, who are the Kellys?" I had been  
>dreading this question. I took a deep breath before starting.<p>

"The Kellys are a huge family of evil savants. They use their gifts not for good, but for

bad things, like-" God, I sounded like a teacher"...they're ruthless." I didn't want to

tell her about all the horrid stuff they'd done. I wanted to protect her so much.

"One more question. Um...Why are you so against the Fischers?"

"An old family feud. It doesn't matter."

Summer POV

An old family feud, it doesn't matter? Xavier must have thought I was _stupid_ because I could  
>so tell there was more to it than that!<p>

"Xavier, seriously. Do I _look_ like an idiot?" I asked him, turning my head to meet his stare.

Big mistake. His brown eyes stared into my blue ones, his expression soft and caring.  
>I swallowed, struggling to maintain my cool.<p>

"No," he said softly. "You look nothing like an idiot. You are the least idiotic person I have ever met."

"Apart from yourself, you mean." I smirked.

"Well, yeah, duh!" he joked. I smiled for a few seconds, before frowning.

"Please tell me," I begged. Xav looked away from me. "Please." I really didn't want to  
>do this, but he wouldn't hold it against me, would he? He was my soulfinder, after all<p>

(or so he claimed). "Xav...come on. It can't be that bad," I whispered, my mouth dangerously  
>close to his ear and my left hand lightly resting on his right thigh. He shuddered.<p>

"It can't be that bad, can it?" I said again. He sighed, his hands clenching into fists and his eyes  
>closing. I felt horrible using him like this, but I was so darn <em>CURIOUS<em>!

"Fine," he sighed. I moved my hand and my face away from him. "But first, I would just like to say  
>I salute your excellent bribing techniques." I felt myself blushing. Oh, the joys of being a redhead!<br>Everyone thinks you have a terrible temper and that you quickly blush bright red.

"I..er..no! What?" I spluttered.

"We're soulfinders, Summer. Therefore I can practically hear everything you're thinking, though  
>I did enjoy where your hand was lying..." Silently he picked up my hand and kissed every<br>finger. I tried to pull it away from him, but secretly I enjoyed the feel of his mouth brushing  
>lightly against the skin of my hand.<p>

"Don't be ridiculous, I had my shields up." I knew I had because shielding was second nature to me.

"No, you didn't," Xavier whispered, kissing my cheek softly. I finally pulled away from him and  
>stood up abruptly.<p>

"Stop it! I have a boyfriend, you know!" I shrieked.

"I think we've established that Luke Kelly is, like others of his kind, lying scum," Xavier replied  
>calmly. I couldn't believe he could talk like that about Luke.<p>

"Luke's _family_ may not be all that good, but he might be different!"

"Oh? Then tell me, who's Peter?" Xavier looked at me. I was defeated, and he knew it. I stared  
>at him, confused.<p>

"I...I...um..." Flashbacks. Me. Meeting Luke's family for the first time. Meeting Peter. Being taken  
>up to Luke's room. Luke whispering, "It'll all be okay." Peter coming closer and closer. Darkness.<br>An ever-lasting darkness that wrapped around me, suffocating me.

Images flashed through my mind. Me. Meeting Luke's family for the first time. Meeting Peter. Being  
>taken up to Luke's room. Luke whispering softly to me, "It'll all be okay." Peter looming closer and<br>closer. Darkness. An ever-lasting darkness that wrapped around me, suffocating me.

Why couldn't I remember?

"It doesn't matter, because I don't believe what you said about the Kellys being evil. Luke has never  
>used his gift around me." And that was the dangerous part.<p>

"What _is _his gift?" Xavier asked, curious.

"Luke's gift is to turn invisible. He can make anything invisible, or put an invisible barrier around them.  
>It's always sounded like a cool gift," I admitted.<p>

"What's your gift?" The way he stared at me when he said that, made me go dizzy all over.

"Um..." I momentarily forgot what my gift was, he looked so good.

"I can control all four elements."

"When's your birthday?"

"7th July." Xavier stared at me. Then, so quickly I barely even registered it, he brushed his lips gently  
>against mine. I was stunned. Luke and I <em>had<em> kissed, but it had never felt like this; so overpowering,  
>so strong. I felt myself blushing more and more. I discreetly pinched myself, thinking 'this has<br>to be a dream, right?' then looked back at Xavier.

"It's not a dream," he said. I nodded. I believed it now; I believed he was my soulfinder. But there  
>was still something saying the complete opposite that was lurking in the shadows.<p>

"Summer, you really are something." Xavier smiled briefly before turning to the door. Before  
>he exited, I cried, "Where are you going?"<p>

"Sky and Phee wanna chat with you." I stared after him. Once he was out of my view, I sighed  
>deeply and sat down again.<p>

"Hi!" I jumped up, like, 5 metres. I looked to the doorway and saw Sky and Phoenix standing  
>there, grinning.<p>

"Oh, hello," I muttered. I was not in the mood for this.

"Can we come in?" They practically yelled.

"Sure," I shrugged. I was sure nothing that happened now could change the black hole  
>I could feel myself slowly sinking into, the black hole of despair and confusion. Who was<br>Luke Kelly? What did I actually know about him? The more I thought about it, the more confused I got.

I couldn't remember the day he arrived at school. All I know is that he was there one day.  
>Just like that. Like magic. But it wasn't magic. I knew that all too well.<p>

"I know you're not in the mood for us, but please listen for a minute. We know how hard it is.  
>We'll do anything we can to try and make this whole soulfinder stuff...easier.<br>We're your friends," Sky told me. I nodded half-heartedly. I wasn't listening, not really.  
>Half of my brain was telling me to be polite and at least look interested, while the other<br>was going over the whole business with Xavier and Luke again and again.

"You look really tired," said the other girl, Phoenix. "I think Xav would be more than  
>delighted to take you back to the Fischer's." I only nodded.<p>

When I got back, the Fischer's were panicking.

"Where were you?" Ericka screeched when she saw me. I heard an engine start and knew Xav  
>was driving away, leaving me to face the wrath of the Fischer's.<p>

It turned out I didn't need to worry.

"We were so worried!" Ericka sobbed. She hugged me.

"I... can look after myself, Ericka. Really. I'm eighteen. I'm not stupid."

"Off to bed, Summer!" Ericka clapped her hands and I obediently slouched off to my room  
>and fell, face first, into my pillow.<p>

**Hi! So what did you think? I hope you enjoyed, feel free to leave a comment! ;D**

**I'm really grateful to my beta reader, justadropintheocean, who helped a lot with**

**all the writing and made this chapter and the five before flow much easier! So thx!**

**Also thanks to NRC (you know who you are), who has been my best friend since**

**for ever and who made me promise to put this chapter up! Good luck N!**

**Hehe... so that's all!**

**Manda xoxo**


	7. Mindless

**Hi guys!  
>Today I give you an extremely short chapter... in Peter's point of view!<strong>

**Mwahahaha! It was surprisingly easy to write, am I that evil? ;)**

**Anyway, enjoy!**

**Mandaxoxo  
><strong>

7. Mindless

Peter POV

The same old nightmares haunt me every night; the smell of rust, of blood, of death. My dreams  
>don't matter during those long frightening periods of time. Hate and anger consume me, dread<br>rising to my head, heart pumping, blood rushing.

I love it.

That gut-wrenching feeling of glory, of victory when seeing people suffer, screaming and suffocating  
>while I'm lying in peaceful slumber, watching them being tortured is just amazing.<p>

Many have called me sick and twisted in the past but I don't care. After a few days, those people  
>always go missing. Then they're found three days later in various locations around the world. That is what we do.<p>

...Servants cower at our feet, awaiting our orders. Those of us that are born with a twisted point  
>of view, those that are, so to say, useless and 'good', are disposed of. We're a tough crowd to please.<p>

My sister is one of those useless, 'good' savants that want to stop us. She says the Kelly's are an  
>evil family and she does not want to be a part of it anymore. Huh. Well, she's going to have to give<br>in because if she doesn't, we will be made to take her by force which will get ugly. My sister is needed  
>because of her gift, which is greater than great. Amazing, in fact.<p>

"Oh, shut up, Peter. You know I can hear everything you're saying," my sister snarls at me.

_That's precisely why I'm talking in my head. _I respond.

_You're demented. _My sister informs me.

_Huh. As if I didn't know that already. If I wasn't demented, then I would never have come up with any of the  
>ideas I have had.<em>

She rolled her eyes and walked away. Little did she know this was her last day of freedom. Tomorrow, if  
>she hadn't changed her mind, we would take her to our base in America and make her work for us. And,<br>of course, tomorrow was the last day of independence for Summer Fischer-McBride, the girl who was constantly  
>slipping away.<p> 


	8. Kidnapped

**Hi guys!  
>Today I'm going to upload TWO chapters! I know, amazing, right?<br>Thanks to my fabulous beta, jusadropintheocean, and:  
><strong>

**Momo16  
>B-kusznir<br>VintageSun  
>Hannarrhh<br>d**

**This chapters quite long, I hope you enjoy it!  
>Manda<br>**

8. Kidnapped

Summer POV

"So you can't become a real professional ski champion, just because you're a savant? That sucks."  
>I look up at Xavier as we trudge up the slippery path to get some hot drinks.<p>

There was a patch of ice about a meter in front of the door and it was no wonder that I slipped and  
>was about to fall on my nose when I felt a strong hold on my shoulder. Xavier wrapped his arms around me<br>, his warm breath in my ear.

"You okay?"

I nodded and shakily stood upright, slowly turning red with embarrassment.

"Thanks." He shrugged and opened the door for me. We ordered two hot chocolates (mine with cream, his  
>with marshmallows) and sat down.<p>

"You didn't get a hard time because of yesterday, did you?" He seemed so worried, it tore my heart. He was so  
>sweet and kind and I was 99.9% sure he was my soulfinder, except for that nagging feeling that was always<br>there telling me, no, of course he isn't, Luke is your soulfinder.

"No. Ericka was just really worried. But she didn't ask any questions."

"If she did, what would you have said?"

"I was out with a friend." We sat there in silence for a while, blowing on our drinks (me) and gulping them down (Xav).  
>When we were finished Xav stood up.<p>

"Excuse me for a minute, please." He strode away to the bathroom while I sat waiting for the waiter to come with the  
>receipt. A man strode towards our table and I looked up. It took me a moment to recognise him. When I did,<br>my blood turned cold. I couldn't move. I couldn't speak. I was so scared, but I was also filled with desire.  
>I loved him, still. Xav and me, we were just too good to be true.<p>

"Hello, Summer."

It was Luke.

Xavier POV

I stared at myself in the mirror. Summer and I had come to the ski cafe after four exhausting hours of skiing.  
>We had drunk some hot chocolate and talked a bit. I hoped she was okay and that she was happy. She seemed okay, at least.<p>

I walked out of the bathroom and looked over at our table. Summer was gone, but our empty cups were still there  
>and so was her coat. I just knew something was wrong.<p>

_Summer?_

For a while there was no answer. Then:

_ Xav! Help!_

That was all I heard because as soon as the connection was made, it was cut off. I tried my best to get through to  
>Summer but it was like there was a barrier blocking her off, as if she no longer existed...<p>

I ran out of the cafe, screaming at my family to come straight away.

Summer POV

"What are you doing, Luke? Let me go!" I struggled against the tight ropes Luke had bound my hands with. After  
>he had shown up in the cafe, he had told me there was something he wanted to talk to me about in 'private'. I had<br>assumed it was about the Benedict's and how they had tried to trick me, or something of the sort. I'd been stupid.

I had followed him outside, to the back of the cafe, where a black car had been waiting. Two tall muscular men  
>were standing outside it. They looked like the type of men you'd expect to see in movies, you know, the FBI<br>types. And they were very scary.

"Get in the car," Luke had said. His voice sounded so strange, so foreign, so... cold. I got in the car hesitantly.

"Where are you taking me?" I had whispered, trying to make my voice even to hide my fear. It didn't work. The  
>two men had been sitting on either side of me; Luke was up in the front. He didn't even look at me.<p>

"Shut her up," he'd ordered. The two bodyguards (I assumed that was what they were) had started to tie  
>my hands and gag me. They hadn't quite managed to gag me but I <em>did<em> start to panic.

_Xav! Help! _

After that I couldn't get through and my head hurt as I struggled against the barrier that cut me off from Xav.

So here I am now.

"What are you doing, Luke? Let me go!"

"Oh, that's not me. It's Ben and Tom." Ben and Tom were, apparently, the names of the two  
>bodyguardssuper savants. They maintained perfect poker faces, flinching only occasionally. The Benedict's  
>must be trying to get through, I realised. They weren't having much success. Ben and Tom were pros.<p>

I looked around the car. It was spotless and clean. There were no CDs, no used tissues, no cookie crumbs,  
>no dirt or anything to suggest that anyone had ever used the car before today. I couldn't see through the<br>windows as black opaque sheets had been stuck on them. The only light came from the front window,  
>through which I could see a motorway with tonnes of other cars.<p>

Three hours later, the driver, Marc, stopped the car. I was untied and taken out of the car. I followed Tom  
>to a gas station and, while he stood guard outside, I went to the bathroom. When we went back to the car,<br>Luke was snacking on a sandwich that Ben had bought for him. My stomach gurgled. All I'd had today was a hot chocolate.

"Here." Luke handed me a Twix bar. I wolfed it down hungrily, but I was still starving. Luke had just finished his  
>sandwich and licked his fingers, patting his stomach and grinning at me.<p>

"You son of a b****," I said, struggling to break my bonds. Ben pushed me back against the seat  
>and did my seatbelt. And off we went.<p>

About five hours later we stopped again. Luke bought a pack of wine gums and sucked on them happily,  
>while I stared at him, now desperate for food.<p>

We drove for the rest of the day and I slept most of the time. The scenery was changing rapidly and I  
>was confused: where were we going? What was the purpose of taking me there?<p>

We stopped a few times to fill up the car with petrol and go to the bathroom. Those were the only times  
>I could see where we were. We had passed Pennsylvania and now I had a pretty good idea of<br>where we were going, but I wasn't too sure.

The car stopped and Tom opened the door to let me out. I looked up. We were standing in  
>front of a huge building and we were in the middle of <em>New York<em>.

**...So? What did you think? I'd really love to hear your opinions, or what you think I could improve!  
>:D<strong>

**...On to chapter 9!**


	9. Passing Time

**As promised, here is chapter 9!**  
><strong>I hope you guys enjoy it, i love and hated writing it at the same time.<br>I loved it because you finally meet Jon, who will play a huge role later on and in Betraying Jon, which I'm planning to write as a sequel or something  
>and I hated because... well, it's kind of obvious. I feel really sorry for Summer in this one.<strong>

**Anyway, don't mind me! Just read on!  
>Disclaimer: I do not own Finding Sky. Or Twix bars.<strong>

Manda

9. Passing Time

Xavier POV

It had been a week since Summer had gone missing. I had spent every hour of every day  
>looking for her. I beat myself up inside with millions of 'what ifs'. My family were so worried yet<br>they never gave up. Victor had people looking all over the country for her. Zed tried his best to see her  
>future, but he wasn't having much luck.<p>

"It's like something's blocking me from seeing anything about her," he said.

Sky and Phee were beside themselves with worry. Sure, they'd tell me that there was nothing to  
>worry about and that she'd turn up but I could see they were lying.<p>

I was so scared and so angry, I had to let my fury out somehow. I stayed out late that night and went to  
>a bar. I drank and drank, and reason left me. I forgot my family, my worries, I even forgot Summer.<p>

The next morning I woke up and I had no idea where I was. Nor did I know what had happened last night. All  
>I knew was that I had the worst headache ever and that being in a stranger's bed wasn't exactly good,<br>considering everything that had been happening lately. I suddenly felt someone move next to me. I turned  
>around in the bed to see a woman sleeping peacefully beside me, her bare leg wrapped around my hip.<p>

"Shit." I got out of the bed, put on my clothes and ran out.

Summer POV

Seven days I had been here. Seven days of torture. I couldn't stand it, not knowing what Xav was doing, if he  
>was close to finding me or not.<p>

After getting out of the car, I had been taken into the tall building and we had stepped into an elevator. It had  
>been small and uncomfortable, especially since there were five of us, including Marc the driver.<p>

We got out at the very top floor and stepped out of the elevator. I breathed a sigh of relief, only to find that the  
>smell was unbearable. The room I found myself in smelt of sweat and fear. It was relatively small with two<br>doors leading to other rooms. There was a sofa, a bookshelf and a small coffee table. The walls were grey  
>and the floor was red carpet. And in the middle of the room, sitting on two metal chairs, were two people;<br>a woman in her twenties and a man in his sixties. They looked terrible. Their faces were drawn, their eyes  
>frightened and they were unbelievably skinny.<p>

I shuddered. Luke wasn't going to lock me up, was he? He couldn't. I mean, I loved him.

"Luke, I…"

"Shut up," he cut me off, his tone sharp and commanding. I flinched. "Jon, Eddie, why don't you come and  
>greet dear Summer here? I'm sure you'd be more than happy to."<p>

"F*** off, Peter," the woman said. I couldn't help but admire her confidence. She wasn't scared, which I found  
>strange.<p>

Luke sighed. "Oh well, I'll just leave you to it, then." He got into the elevator and the door closed. I immediately  
>collapsed, my tears gushing freely down my face, my shoulders shaking uncontrollably.<p>

I felt two weak hands on my shoulders.

"It's okay. Don't cry. You're not alone, at least. Eddie was here for a year before I arrived. A year. Can you imagine?  
>Stuck in here cut off from the rest of the world. There, there. C'mon." I looked up. The woman was staring<br>down at me, her face full of understanding and worry.

"I'm Summer," I told her, my voice trembling ever so slightly as I stood up.

"Jon." She held her hand out, but I just hugged her. We were all going to die, formality really didn't matter  
>anymore. She seemed taken by surprise, but smiled nonetheless. Though Jon was nothing more than skin<br>and bones, and obviously exhausted, she was beautiful. But she reminded me of someone. I wasn't sure who.

"That's Eddie," She added, pointing her thumb at the old man slumped on the metal chair. "He doesn't  
>say much, he's too weak."<p>

"Who are you and why are we all here?" I asked. Jon looked at me, pain in her eyes.

"I'm so sorry. I'll explain as best as I can." She swallowed and beckoned me to sit on the sofa next to her.  
>I did, before listening to her tale.<p>

"Luke is my cousin. I'm Peter's sister. You probably know him. He's great at manipulating people and putting  
>thoughts into their minds that'll probably stay there for a long time. And he is a Kelly. He's pure evil,<br>basically. I hate him.

A few years ago, my parents died, ultimately making Peter the 'head' of the Kelly's. He made a plan, which  
>would make the Kelly's the strongest and most powerful savant family to ever have existed. He's gonna<br>kill off the Savant Net, one by one. And he wants to use us.

First off, you need to know something. I hate my family. I hate my dad, I hate my mum. I don't care if  
>they're dead. I mean, what sort of father names their child Jonath-Anne just because it a 'girl' version<br>of Jonathan 'cause he was so confident I'd be a girl?

The Kelly's usually kill anyone who is against them, even people in their own family! But I was an  
>exception. You see, my gift is too valuable for me to die. And they caught Eddie because he holds a<p>

lot of information about the Savant Net. And you, well, you know the Benedict's. And you can control  
>all four elements.<p>

But, Summer, you have to understand that Luke _did_ love you. I know it's hard to believe, after everything  
>he's put you through."<p>

I just nodded. I was far too shocked to react.

"The Benedict's are one of the most important savant families out there; it would be such a blow to  
>the Savant Net if they were to die out. A savant who could predict the future saw it, Summer. He<br>saw you would meet Xavier and that you'd be his soulfinder.

Peter wants to achieve something pretty unbelievable; kill savant families off before they become  
>monumental and life-saving and instead just wipe them all out. That's what he needs me for. I have<br>the gift to transport myself anywhere and anytime I want. It's really exhausting, but I can. So, yeah… that's it really."

I was shocked. How had things escalated so quickly? I couldn't believe that Peter actually wanted to  
>kill so many savants using just us three. It was almost impossible.<p>

But the worst was yet to come. Because not only were the Kelly's ruthless, they were also heartless  
>and they sure knew how to break hearts.<p>

Xavier POV

"Xav, where were you? You said we'd meet to discuss rescuing Summer!" As soon as I entered the  
>house I was bombarded with questions.<p>

"Guys, relax." I tried to keep cool, but inside my mind was churning. Thousands of emotions were locked  
>up inside of me, threatening to break free.<p>

"What's wrong, Xav? You're emotions are all over the place." Sky looked at me nervously. _She knew._

"I was drunk." I was pleading with her. Maybe, somehow, she would forgive me for doing that to Summer.  
>But I knew she wouldn't. Hell, I couldn't even forgive myself.<p>

"You idiot! How dare you do that to Summer! She's your _soulfinder_, you're supposed to love her!" She  
>turned around and buried her face in Zed's chest. Zed was staring at me, his face a mix of emotions.<p>

_Please tell me Sky's wrong._

_Depends on what she told you._

_That you cheated on Summer._

_It doesn't necessarily count as cheating if you have no recollection of it whatsoever, does it?_

He shook his head in disbelief. "Sky, come here." He wrapped his arms around her and left me to face the  
>rest of my family.<p>

"What the hell? What did you do to upset them so much, Xav?" Yves walked up to me, his arm wrapped  
>around Phee's shoulders casually.<p>

"Forget it, guys. It's bad enough as it is. I don't want you guys hating me too."

"I'm sure we won't hate you, Xav," dad said. Little did he know. Mom walked up to me, and I knew what  
>she was going to do already. She took my hand and closed her eyes. I tried my best to shield but it was<br>hard enough to settle my emotions. A few seconds later, Mom let go of my hand, sorrow plain to see in her eyes.

"I…I can't believe I…" I never got to finish. Mom turned around and walked away slowly, her hand covering  
>her mouth. Dad looked at me for a few seconds before running after Mom to comfort her.<p>

I turned around and walked out the door; there was no point in staying there any longer.

**...sooooo... what did you think? I'll try and update asap but I can't guarantee it, I have no  
>idea which direction this story is going in.<strong>** :) until next time, mes amies... **


	10. Regrets and Death

**Hi guys!  
>I hope you enjoy this chapter, quite a lot happens in it... :)<strong>

**Anyway, enjoy!  
>Disclaimer: Don't own Finding Sky, sadly. Wish I did though.<br>**

10. Regrets and Death

"Jon, I can't take this anymore! It's too much; I have got to get out of here!" My sixth  
>week as a captive and I wasn't coping well.<p>

Every day we were called to Peter's room and beaten if we didn't tell them anything. Eddie wouldn't  
>last much longer. Jon was on the brink of starvation because she had given up all her food and gave<br>it to Eddie. And me? Well, I was fat compared to those two. I would try to give my food to Jon, but  
>she refused to eat it. I felt useless and all I could think about was Xavier.<p>

Why hadn't he found us by now? Was he in as much agony as I was? Had he forgotten me? The latter  
>scared me most of all. Maybe he had changed his mind; maybe I wasn't his soulfinder after all. But I was<br>so sure that I was. That one kiss we had shared had been more overpowering than all the kisses I'd had with Luke.

…Luke. Whenever I thought of him, pure hatred boiled inside me and I felt like screaming in rage. I  
>didn't believe what Jon had said; if he loved me, surely he wouldn't have treated me the way he had?<p>

"Oh my God, Eddie!" Jon exclaimed.

I raised my head quickly and stood up. Jon was leaning over Eddie who had collapsed and was now  
>breathing quickly, desperately.<p>

"Eddie, don't worry. We'll try and get the guard's attention or something…" Jon was crying. There was  
>nothing she could do and she knew it. All of us did.<p>

There was no point trying to use telepathy either. There was a constant shield blockingus; we couldn't  
>use any of our gifts, including telepathy.<p>

"…Don't…mind me…just…watch out…for yourselves…it's almost time…he will…control you…" Eddie's breaths  
>were getting slower and calmer. Tears were now falling down my cheeks. I sobbed hysterically, hugging Eddie tightly.<p>

"We love you, Eddie. Please, please, don't…" I never got to finish that sentence. The elevator door opened  
>and out walked Peter.<p>

"Oh, he's finally died, has he?" He smirked and beckoned forth a guard. "You there, clean this mess up."  
>The guard shoved us to the side and picked Eddie up.<p>

"No!" Jon and I both grabbed onto Eddie but the guard was too strong. We sank to the ground, admitting defeat.

"Summer, come with me." I stood up warily, wiping my tears away and trying to appear strong and  
>undefeated. But the death of Eddie was such a strong blow to me that I couldn't keep my tears in.<p>

"You're such a heartless monster, Peter. I hate you!" I followed Peter to the lift and closed my eyes,  
>hoping that there would be no more beatings.<p>

"Summer! Come back, promise me you will!" I couldn't reply; the lift closed just as I wanted to. Peter  
>chuckled behind me.<p>

"Now there's a promise you can't keep."

I turned around and punched him in the face.

Xavier POV

Every day, every day I spent searching for her, the girl who owned my heart. Summer. Every time I  
>thought of her, my heart ached and I was filled with guilt. How could I have done that to her? Then I would<br>think, maybe I didn't. Maybe it was all just a bad dream. It wasn't, though. And I knew it.

I didn't live with my parents anymore. I'd moved out after they'd found out about the… incident. I now lived  
>in a small apartment with barely any furniture in it, but I felt that I deserved something meagre and horrible.<br>I would have chosen to live on the street, had my mother not intervened. Usually I would go to the park and  
>think about Summer, how beautiful she was, how innocent. She had no idea what I had done. That tore me<br>up inside.

I walked to the swings. A couple of mothers looked at me strangely. I knew I looked suspicious. I hadn't  
>shaved for a while, my clothes were torn and tattered and I wore the look of a drunk, dirty man twice my age.<br>I sat down in one of the swings and sighed. How had things escalated so quickly? I heard a pair of  
>footsteps coming towards me and sighed. I wasn't in the mood for talking, whoever it was.<p>

"Hello, Xavier." She said.

**Mwahahahahahaha! A cliffhanger! What do you think? Hope you enjoyed!  
><strong>

**Manda**


	11. Reunion

**Disclaimer: Don't own Finding Sky or any of the Benedict boys...sadly.**

Summer POV

_I ran. I ran and ran. Peter was screaming in agony and calling the guards._

_ "Jon!" I couldn't leave her alone with Peter and Luke._

_ "Summer. I'm sorry. Leave me. Just leave me here!" Two guards had caught Jon. They held her hands behind her  
>back, blank expressions on their faces as they dragged her away from me. She was struggling but they were far too strong for her.<em>

_ "No! I can't…I won't!" I screamed. She smiled sadly._

_ "You will. You have to." She whimpered as the guards dragged her away. I heard a sound behind my back and whipped  
>my head around. Another guard, much taller than me, stood behind me.<em>

_ "Shit." I quickly ran to the side and out of his grasp. "Leave me alone!" I snarled. I ran, not daring to look back. One  
>flight of stairs after the other. Soon I realised no one was following me anymore. I sighed in relief and bent over, breathing deeply.<em>

_ "Summer. Why, what _are _you doing here?" I looked up sharply and pure terror filled my heart._

_ "Peter." I gasped. He smiled coldly before sauntering over to me. I was frozen to the spot and my hands were shaking._

_ "I think we have some unfinished business to attend to. You see, I believe you would love to see your  
><em>soulfinder_ again, wouldn't you?" His nose was still bleeding, which made me smirk slightly. He saw this  
>and frowned. "Oh, Summer. You will be the perfect weapon."<em>

_ I felt a sharp thud on my head and screamed. And then…nothing._

I woke up on a bus. I was dizzy and confused and couldn't remember a thing. All I did know was that Peter  
>had found me and then someone had hit me on the head. And then I'd blacked out…<p>

Why was I here? Surely Peter hadn't let me go? I doubted it. He was the type who never gave up, who  
>never left any loose ends hanging. I glanced upwards to check where I was but I didn't recognize the<br>name of the bus stop.

"Um, excuse me." I turned to the woman sitting next to me. "Where am I?" I sounded like an idiot, and I  
>knew it. The woman rolled her eyes.<p>

"Wrickenridge." I sighed in relief.

"Do you know how I got here?" I asked.

"You came on with _that_ man over there." She pointed at a tall, strong man in the corner of the bus. I  
>felt a shiver up my spine. He was one of Peter's bodyguards.<p>

"Oh. Thanks." I turned around in my seat to look out of the window of the bus. Hold on, I recognised  
>this place. It was…<p>

"Summer. This is our stop." I turned around quickly in my seat. Peter's bodyguard stood in front of me.  
>I nodded quickly.<p>

"Yes. Yeah. Okay." I was shaking. As soon as the bus stopped we got out of the bus and it drove away.  
>I felt despair. My lifeline was slipping away and I was too terrified to run away.<p>

"What do you want with me?" I demanded of him.

"Your soulfinder Xavier Benedict lives around here. You'll go to him and do what you were told to.

"You're lying. Xav doesn't live here. He lives with his family, not here." We were in the park. I  
>was struggling to maintain a straight face, despite my terror. Obviously Peter didn't know everything.<p>

"Not anymore. He moved out." Now the bodyguard smiled at me. "There he is." He pointed to the swing set.  
>Sure enough, Xav, my Xav, was sitting there. He looked so forlorn. I felt…overwhelmed. I hadn't seen him<br>for so long. Happiness filled me, along with a great sadness. He was unhappy, I could tell.

"But what am I supposed to…" I was about to ask the bodyguard but he had gone. I made my  
>way towards him. Suddenly, I knew exactly what I was supposed to do.<p>

"Hello, Xavier." Inside, I was screaming.

"But did he let you go? Are you okay? I missed you so much!" As soon as I had turned up, Xav had started

to bombard me with questions I couldn't answer.

"I don't know. I missed you too." I sighed deeply. I was sighing way too much these days.

"Oh, Summer. You have no idea. I feel so… sorry." He hugged me. But then, as if remembering something,  
>guilt and horror filled his features and he pushed me away. "…I'm sorry."<p>

I had been…rejected. By my own soulfinder. Was I that unlovable?

"This is my house." He removed a key from his pocket and grimaced. "It's not that nice."

"I don't care. I'm just happy that I'm back." We stepped into the house and immediately I gasped. It  
>was tiny. There was hardly anything in Xav's house. It was even worse than where Peter had held me captive.<p>

"Xav." I grabbed his hand and looked into his eyes, concerned. "Are you okay?" He turned his head so  
>he wouldn't have to look at me.<p>

"You shouldn't be worried about me. It should be the other way around." I tried to hold him, to reassure  
>him I was fine, but he stepped out of my embrace.<p>

"I'm sorry. I just can't do this… It's too hard. I'm so sorry!"

"For what? You've done nothing but help and support me, you shouldn't be apologising!"

"I…" He shook his head slightly, as if changing his mind about something. "I'm sorry I pushed you away."  
>He whispered.<p>

"Xav, I'm not an idiot. I can tell there's something else bothering you. You can tell me. You can trust me!"

_ It hurt, Summer. Every single second without you hurt like hell. And now, I don't think I deserve you after what I've done._

_ What have you done? It can't be that bad, can it?_

_ It is, Summer, oh, it is! And I am so, so sorry!_

_ No, Xav. You don't have to be. I doubt it's as bad as you make it out to be._

_ This is the reason I live here now, Summer. I'm unwanted. My family resent me for what I've done to you._

_ Xav, _I was pleading now. I had to know. Despite my words, I was insecure. I trusted Xav with my life, but…  
><em>Please. Tell me.<em>

_ I missed you so much.. and I was so worried. I, I got drunk and then…_

_ And then you slept with some random girl, right?_

He looked at me in surprise. I stared right back at him.

"Oh, please, Xav, I'm not an idiot. You're a guy, what else do you think would have happened!"

"But, you're not…mad at me?"

"Of course I am! I'm really, really mad and I feel like you've torn my heart in two! But you need me. I'm  
>your soulfinder." I was on the verge of tears. "And you keep pushing me away."<p>

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." He whispered. He embraced me, kissing my hair and wiping my tears off my face.  
>I shook uncontrollably and hugged him back. I raised my face, asking him to kiss me. He did. He never let go.<p>

**...So...What did you think? Feel free to leave a comment...or two... ;)  
>I hope you enjoyed this chapter, I for one was really glad to see Xav and Summer reunited.<br>But what does Peter have up his sleeve? ...You'll have to wait and see!  
>This story is coming to an end soon, but don't worry! There will be a sequel...just not the type you'd<br>expect... (please don't kill me foｒ all these cliffhangers!)**

Manda xoxo


	12. Happy Ending?

**Like I said, the end was coming. So, I present to you the last chapter of Missing Summer.**

**But I am very excited about Saving Angel! ;)  
>Thanks to everyone who reviewed!<strong>

**Mandaxoxo  
>Disclaimer: Don'.FindingSky...sob<strong>

12. Happy Ending?

Xavier POV

We kissed for a long time, but I soon pulled away and, panting, told her we had to tell my family and the Fischer's that she was back.

"Oh, God, the Fischer's! I'd forgotten about them!"

"They've missed you." I informed her. Noah Fischer, Summer's uncle, had burst into our house and demanded to  
>know where his niece was.<p>

"And my parents? Do they know I went missing?"

"No. We thought it best to keep it under wraps."

"That was wise of you. My mother would have freaked out." Summer kissed me again and I moaned. The taste of her  
>lips was amazing. She was amazing.<p>

"Yeah, well. You know. I'm just clever. And awesome."

"Don't get all cocky on me!" she warned me. I winked at her. She turned around and walked out the door. I ran after her, feeling a bit like a sheep.

"They'll be really happy to see you again." I smiled at her.

"I'm nervous, for some reason."

"Don't be." I held her hand as we walked up to our house. Zed came up to us, smiled at Summer but frowned when he saw me.

"What do you want?" His voice was cold, indifferent. He didn't care, not anymore.

"Zed! Don't be mad at Xav! It's not his fault. He was under" she lowered her voice "the influence."

"Summer, it doesn't matter if he was drunk or not. He hurt his soulfinder, you. We can't forgive him like that."  
>He snapped his fingers and I winced. He really meant it.<p>

"He's family. I'm sure you can find it in your heart to forgive him."

"Summer, will you allow us some privacy for a moment?" Zed asked, not even looking at Summer. She nodded  
>slightly, glancing at me worriedly.<p>

_I'll be fine._ I reassured her.

She nodded again, more sure this time, and left us two alone.

"How do you know she's safe?" Zed demanded.

_Woah, wait, what? We're not talking about that night?_

_ No. Contrary to your beliefs, not everything is about you. Now, I may hate you right now, but I can't let that girl hurt  
>Sky, if she's been influenced by the Kelly's.<em>

_ She hasn't been. She wouldn't hurt a fly._

_ Neither would Sky, but you saw what the Kelly's can do._

_ Yeah, I did, but I'm telling you, Summer is fine. She's not being controlled. I would have noticed._

_ That's what _you _think._

_ Just leave us alone, alright? You know nothing._

_ What's wrong with you, Xavier?_

_ I won't lose her again._

With that, I walked into the house. Summer was chatting with Sky about something, and she looked extremely happy.

_I knew you'd fit right in._ I told her. She laughed and grinned at me, beckoning me to sit next to her. I obeyed.

_Your wish is my command._ I thought sarcastically. She rolled her eyes. 

"So, when are you guys gonna do it?" Sky asked casually. We froze in our spots, wondering what she meant.  
>Surely Sky couldn't mean…<em>that<em>, could she? Although I wouldn't mind, you know, but still, if Summer didn't want to,  
>I wouldn't push her. But, oh, to do <em>it<em> with Summer, God, how amazing must that be? A _lot_ of way too graphic images  
>entered my mind and refused to leave my head.<p>

"What?" Summer let out a strangled voice. Obviously, she was thinking the same thing as me.

"Getting married, of course!" Sky giggled, finally realising what he had been thinking. She slowly turned red.

"Oh, we…um…" I muttered.

"Sky, I, uh…" Summer looked just as shellshocked.

"Well, you' are getting married, aren't you? You're soulfinders! Yves and Phoenix are married. Zed and I are getting  
>married next year!" She smiled and looked at us expectantly. "So, when's the big day?"<p>

"…We haven't really thought about that yet…" Summer appeared to be extremely embarrassed.

"Yeah, we haven't really gotten to know each other properly yet…" I mumbled.

"So? You're soulfinders. Perfect for each other. The ultimate pair."

"Um." Summer let out a sigh before turning to me.

"_Why_ don't we get married?" she asked. I stared at her for at least twenty seconds before replying. My throat  
>was dry, and thousands of thoughts were running through my mind. Summer, in a beautiful white dress; us, saying<br>our vows; kissingher as the crowd behind us cheered; our first child; then our second, our third…

"Because…be, because…" Why not, though? I thought. I loved her, and Summer loved me. We were soulfinders.  
>Why not marry her? "Because we <em>are <em>getting married."

"We are?"

"Yeah. I mean, I've no ring, but…" I got down on one knee. "Will you marry me, Summer Fischer-McBride?"

"I…I…" Summer smiled, her face full of glee. "Yes!" she hugged me and kissed me at the same time. "Oh,  
>God, I'm getting married! I'm getting <em>married<em>!" She cried. I felt tears in my eyes, too and sniffed.

"What the hell's just happened?" Zed entered the room with Yves and Phoenix.

"They're getting married!" Sky cried, flinging herself at Zed and laughing. "Can it be a double wedding, please, oh, please!"

"God, Sky, you surprised me! Sure it can!" Zed strode towards me and held out his hand. "Congrats, man." I took  
>his hand and shook it. An awkward silence followed, broken only by Mom entering the room and screaming with joy.<p>

"Another marriage! I'm so happy!" She ran towards Summer. "Thank you! You will be a wonderful daughter!"  
>Summer had started to cry. I wrapped my arm around her waist and she rested her head on my shoulder.<p>

"Love you." She whispered.

"Right back atcha, babe." I ruffled her hair and kissed the top of her head.

"I'm getting married. Wow." She breathed.

"Yeah. I love you so much."

"I know." She winked and walked to the girls, leaving me to talk to my brothers and my parents. All conflicts  
>seemed to have been forgotten. Despite that, there was something nagging me in the back of my mind, something I had forgotten…But what was it?<p>

**...Wait...There's an epilogue! Yay! Read on!  
><strong>


	13. Epilogue

**Disclaimer: Don't own Finding Sky.**

13. Epilogue

Peter POV

"Why did we let her go again?" Luke wondered, titling his head to look at me.

"Because we don't need her. Well, for now." I laughed.

"What do you mean?" He never was that bright.

"When the right time comes, the last instructions I gave her will activate."

"What instructions?"

"Let's just say it will help us in the destruction of the Benedicts." I turned to face the girl standing behind me.

"Jon, are you ready?"

"Ready as I'll ever be, Pete, which means I'm more than ready." She smirked.

"Are you sure you will manage what I've asked of you?"

"Oh, please," she snorted. "I kill people for breakfast. I'll be able to kill one measly savant."

I grimaced. Perhaps she was a bit _too_ confident. At least she was trustworthy, an amazing fighter as well. My plan was proceeding perfectly. My plan was the best plan in the history of our family, because I was sure that it would succeed.

Five savant families have already been killed. Their whole family line gone. Soon, it will only be us: The Kelly's. We will be the strongest savant family in the world. The _only_ savant family in the world.


End file.
